I didn’t realize yesterday what my 1150 consecutive day of daily posting on my website. I even posted from aboard a Viking riverboat on the Seine and in Paris. Oh on the Sunshine Parkway as we drove to Key West too. Lol 😂

< strong>The Tale of the Livias. A very popular name in our family but this is Livia I named after Augustus Caesars wife when my son Ben was watching a Sir Derek Jacobi series I Claudius an old BBC masterpiece series. Sir Derek was a young man in it.

The head shot. Now to get him entered in Ga Watercolor show. And into Splash. Thought the Splash deadline had passed but tomorrow is the drop dead day. Who knew.

The palette I used loaded with Ted Nuttalls palette colors. The paint brushes I used. See yesterday’s post for the kinds of brushes.

Ted Nuttalls palette colors. The only colors I can use and get a fairly transparent light watercolor with. If I don’t use these colors I get heavy handed and go to the dark side. I did replace Antwerp blue with cobalt which is a transparent watercolor that he doesn’t use. No idea why.

Terrible photo taken with my iPhone 8 Plus. Way too dark!!

Just a curious question. Anyone else having trouble with their IPhone 8. I have the plus and it’s been nothing but a pain since I got it. This is his head taken with my iPhone. Thank goodness I had my iPad Air with me or I would never have gotten a decent photo. It’s way too dark and I could not get it lighten up in the photo ap.

This one was taken with my big canon and it’s far too red which is why I finally whipped out my iPad.

Seriously how much did this phone cost?! A fortune. And for photos NOT to work is a big RED X on it for me. Also my messages never ding when they come in no matter how much I try google suggestions.

Got to get this entry done. Painting this picture to enter in the Georgia Watercolor National show whose deadline is any day now. And I have been procrastinating. I should have started yesterday gotten up early to get the 300lb hot press Fabriano watercolor paper. Did I? Nope. Had lunch with a friend. Then about 2 I hit the art stores Sam Flaxs and Binders on Piedmont.

300 lb or 140 lb hot press Fabriano is lovely gorgeous paper that the Italians have been making since the 1200s. Blick at 7th and Peachtree did not have a piece of the 300 # last Saturday so they are part of the procrastination problem. I now have plenty of each.

Here’s the sketch. About 17×22″. Drawn with an HB pencil.

The set up on a table in my sons man cave. Packing paper is great for protecting a table.

Using Ted Nuttalls palette because I want it transparent as possible.

Here’s the paint in one of my travel palettes. Normally I would put all the reds together but somehow I skipped them. Duh

My weapons. Mostly Isabeys and the big ones are Cheap Joes Legends because the Isabeys would cost $220 plus for sable. The ones at the bottom are my favorites including my very favorite the #10 Davinci Sable.

Missing the flesh color. French Yellow ochre and alizarin permanent with LOTS of water.

The palette closed up seals. The cute little spray bottle is really great for lugging around. Bigger ones add a lot of water weight.

The things we didn’t get around to before hand. Zoe patiently snuggles up and snoozes while I make more messes.

A couple of more dogs. I bought the Super Sculpey while shopping for polymer clay. Couldn’t find any for my dragon project bought this instead only to find out on his website its really only good for things like these dogs. Bytw for those curious about polymer clay that’s a great website. Very informative. Easily breaks if the project has thin pieces. Oops. So far I have made a lab and a golden. There’s also a black bear but it’s out in my car. Will post it later after I run some errands.

We are also off to see the lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We tried last Friday but they were sold out. I know my grandkids will be super excited. The lights were gorgeous when I passed by after Thanksgiving. Hey I can’t wait to see hem either. AND theres a train ride too. Atlanta may no longer have the Rich’s pink pig and Christmas tree lighting but Macy’s and the Gardens are doing a GREAT substitute.

Unexpectedly cooking Christmas dinner so thought I would post this from last year. One day it will be in a memory book for my grandchildren. There are several more. I wonder what tomorrow’s will have on it. A big turkey with stuffing and gravy and broiled Brussels sprouts?! Don’t forget the mashed potatoes.

A Christmas card that I made a couple of years ago. Before that he was my favorite Christmas sweatshirt. Remember those. Does anyone wear them now?!! He’s down with watercolor, gouache, glitter pens and glitter and gold gel pens.

TIP: The dots are made by dipping the end of the paint brush into white gouache. Smaller ones are done with the tip of a toothpick.

Another favorite Christmas card. Lots of different heels in different Christmas colors and styles. Caran d’ache Neocolor ii watercolor crayons and marker and pen.

Both are done on watercolor paper and mounted aka glued to Christmas card stock paper.

TIP 2 and probably the most important. Make the card to fit the size of your envelopes. I forget that all the time and inevitably don’t have an envelope big enough to fit the card. OOPS!

Merry Christmas Eve!! Time to watch the Christmas Carol and help Scrooge be a better person again.

Margaret off to play with the grandkids and decorate a Gingerbread house. Xoxo

Painting my kids pit bull Grant for a Christmas present. Can’t wait til they see it. Excited. He’s also one of the dog ornaments.

Here he is with his Christmas hat. He needs a few more spots. Grant with his minime.

You can follow the process. Colors used so far. Ultramarine and burnt umber for blacks cerulean and burnt sienna die greys.

More ofThe same colors.

My version of their rug. Fire engine red ultramarine viridian and quin gold

I didn’t like the brown of the floor-not enough contrast with the rug because they are the same tone- so I added some white over it. This is with white. Quite like the effect of the white. And he was done.

And a twizzle Christmas hat for a certain cute new baby-well a six month old baby.